Decorative bow and method of making the same



Jan. 20, 1959 A. E. SALMI DECORATIVE Bow AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Nov. 14, 1955 INVENTOR. ALBERT E. SALMI flTTORNEPS DECORATIVE BOW AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Albert E. Salmi, Detroit, Mich. Application November 14,1955, Serial No. 546,516

6 Claims. (Cl. 41-10 This invention relates to a decorative bow and method of making the same.

One object of this invention is-to provide a bow which may be made from ribbon and which is characterized by its attractiveness and by the relative ease with which it may be made.

A decorative; bow is ordinarily formed of a length or lengths of ribbon which are shaped to provide loops or swirls in various arrangements, and an external binding element, such as string is employed to hold the loops in place. One feature of the present invention is to provide a decorative bow which does not require an external binding element and which includes a central support for the ribbon to maintain the desired arrangement of loops and swirls, V I

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and extremely easy method of making a decorative bow.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent as the following description proceeds, especially when consideredin conjunction with, the accompanying drawing, wherein; I

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing a tubular coil of ribbon supported upon an elongated tubular member, in accordance with an initial step in the method of forming my decorative bow.

Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1 but shows a later stage of the method in whichseveral of the individual turns of ribbon have been removed from the tubular coil to provide loops. 1

Figure 3 shows still a latter stage in the method in which all of the individual turns of ribbon have been removed from the tubular coil so that the coil no longer exists as such, and a length of ribbon is shown inserted into one end ofthe tubular vsupporting member.

l'Figure 4 is a perspective view. showing my decorative bow'applied to a package.

'The decorativebow comprises a length of ribbon which. is formed with a series of apertures 12 spaced from each other along the length of the ribbon, and a supporting member 14, preferably also of ribbon material, ex-

tending through the apertures with the portions of the ribbon 10 I between the aperture extending laterally outwardly from the ribbon 14 in any desired arrangement of loops and swirls as illustrated in Figure 4.

It is felt that the invention will be more clearly understood if the decorative bow is described in connection with the method of making it.- Accordingly, in the method of making the decorative bow, a length of ribbon 10 is provided which may be of any suitable width.

The length of ribbon 10 is formed of a flexible material which, however, is not absolutely limp, but instead has sufiicient self-supporting characteristics to impart a substantial fullness and well-rounded shape to the loops as illustrated in Figures 2-4. The length of ribbon 10 is initially spirally wound upon itself in a series of superimposed turns to provide a tubular coil 16. The turns of ribbon comprising the coil are then pierced midway between the side edges to provide an aligned series of of this kind the outer turns are of slightlygreater length,

than the inner turns. In any event, the most convenient way of forming the apertures 12 is to pierce the'coil through each of the turns thereof after theeoil hasbeen formed. In this way, the apertures will be aligned in the G coil. 2

After the ribbon 10 has been rolled into a coil and the apertures 12 formed therein, a rigid elongated tubular member 13 is inserted through the apertures 12 a s shown in Figure l. Thereafter, the turns'of ribbon constituting the coil 16 are individually and successively removed from the coil beginning with the outermost turn of the coil and progressing to the innermost turn. Figure 2 illustrates an intermediate stage of the method in which several turns of the coil have been removed therefrom. The apertured portion of each turn of the coil is moved downwardly along the tubular member 18, or away from the coil and the portions of the ribbon 10 between the apertures extend laterally outwardly from the tubular member in any selected arrangement of loops and swirls 20 as illustrated. Preferably, the outside diameter of the member 18 closely approximates the diameter of the apertures so that a tight fit exists between the tubular member and the apertures. Accordingly, the coils 16 will remain in one position on the tubular member 18 without sliding, and the apertured portions of the indi vidual turns can be moved along the member 18 with only slight force. Accordingly, one hand may be employed to hold an end of the tubular member 18 and the, other hand'may be used to remove the turns of ribbon individually. and successively from the coil.

Figure 3 illustrates the ribbon 10 on the tubular member 18 after all of the turns of ribbon have been removed from the coil so that the coil no longer exists as. such. The apertured portion of each turn is spaced slightly from the apertured portion of the adjacent turns along the tubular member and the portions of the ribbon between the apertures extend laterally outwardly in the form of loops and swirls 20 as illustrated. 3

A length of ribbon 14, which may be of the same material as the ribbon 10, is then inserted endwise into one end of the tubular member 18. The ribbon 14 must be inserted into thetubular member 18 a sufllcient distance that it extends through all of the apertures in ribbon 10. Occasionally, difiiculty is experienced in inserting the ribbon14 very far into the tubular member 18. Accordingly, to reduce the distance that the ribbon 14 must be inserted, it is sometimes desirable to bunch, or axially compress the loops of ribbon together on the tubular member 18 adjacent to the end into which the ribbon 14 is inserted. After the ribbon 14 has been inserted the proper distance, that is so that its lower end projects downwardly beneath the lowermost aperture in the ribbon 119 as viewed in Figure 3, the ribbon 14 is then grasped adjacent the upper end of the tubular member 18 and tubular member 18 is grasped beneath the loops 20 of the ribbon 1t and withdrawn from the apertures in the loops. It is sometimes necessary to press upwardly against the lowermost loops 21B of the ribbon iii to prevent them from moving downwardly with the tubular member 18 during the removal of the latter. Then after the tubular member is removed, the loops of ribbon may vbe moved along the length of ribbon 14 and circumferentially thereabout as desired. There will be a certain amount of friction between the ribbon 14 and the material of the loops forming the holes to prevent the loops from accidentally sliding along ribbon 14.

The ribbon 10 is now supported upon the length of ribbon 14 by reason of the latter ribbon passing through the apertures 12 in ribbon 10. Thereafter the ribbon 14 may be tied, or otherwise secured about a package 22, as illustrated in Figure 4.

-It is possible to eliminate the tubular member 18 in the practice of the method, and instead insert the ribbon 14 through the aligned apertures 12 of the coil of ribbon 10. In other words, the ribbon 14 would merely replace the tubular member 18 in Figure 1. Thereafter, the turns of ribbon constituting the coil would be individually removed from the coil to build up a cluster of loops as in Figures 2 and 3.

While it is possible, as above noted, to eliminate the tubular member 18 in the practice of the method, it should be pointed out that the method may be carried out with much greater ease and speed by employing the tubular member 18 in the manner described above. First of all, the member 18 is rigid. Thus, it is possible to remove the successive turns from'the ribbon with much less difliculty than where the tubular member 18 is re placed by the ribbon 14 which is flexible. Moreover, it is desirable to arrange the loops 20 of the ribbon in the desired pattern around the circumference of the central supporting member and this can be accomplished much easier with a rigid member, such as the tubular member 18.

The bow shown in Figure 4 in perspective has substantially the same appearance as it has in Figure 3 with the exception of course, that the tubular member in Figure 3 has been removed and the ribbon 14 constitutes the sole central support for the bow.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A decorative bow comprising an elongated central supporting member and a plurality of individual ribbon loops supported on said member, said ribbon loops being formed from a spiral coil of a length of flexible ribbon having aligned apertures in the superpositioned turns of the coil receiving said member, the turns of ribbon of the coil being removed from the coil and spread out along said member to provide the individual ribbon loops.

2. A decorative bow as in claim 1 in which said supporting member is a length of flexible ribbon.

3. A method of making a decorative bow including the steps of spirally winding a length of flexible ribbon upon itself in a series of superimposed turns to form a tubular coil of ribbon, piercing the turns of ribbon to provide an aligned series of apertures through the coil of ribbon, inserting a rigid elongated tubular member through the aligned apertures, removing the turns of ribbon individually from the coil to provide a plurality of loops of ribbon between the apertures extending laterally outwardly from the member along the length of the latter, inserting a second member into one end of the tubular member through all of the apertures, and thereafter holding the second member adjacent an end of the tubular member while at the same time moving the tubular member endwise away from the last-mentioned end thereof to remove the tubular member from the apertures and leave the ribbon supported on the second member.

4. A method of making a decorative bow including the steps of spirally winding a length of flexible ribbon upon itself in a series of superimposed turns to form a tubular coil of ribbon, piercing the turns of ribbon to provide an aligned series of apertures through the coil of ribbon, inserting an elongated member through the aligned apertures, and removing the turns of ribbon individually from the coil to provide a plurality of loops of ribbon between the apertures extending laterally outwardly from the member.

5. A method of making a decorative bow including the steps of spirally winding a length of flexible ribbon upon itself in a series of superimposed turns to form a tubular coil of ribbon, piercing the turns of ribbon to provide an aligned series of apertures through the coil of ribbon, inserting a rigid elongated tubular member through the aligned apertures, removing the turns of ribbon individually from the coil to provide a plurality of loops of rib bon between the apertures extending laterally outwardly from the member along the length of the latter, inserting a second member into one end of the tubular member through all of the apertures, and thereafter holding the second member adjacent the said one end of the tubular member while at the same time moving the tubular member endwise away from the said one end thereof to remove the tubular member from the apertures and leave the ribbon supported on the second member.

6. A method of making a decorative bow including the steps of spirally winding a length of flexible ribbon upon itself in a series of superimposed turns to form a tubular coil of ribbon, piercing the turns of ribbon to provide an aligned series of apertures through the coil of ribbon, inserting a rigid elongated tubular member through the aligned apertures, removing the turns of ribbon individually from the coil to provide a plurality of loops of ribbon between the apertures extending laterally outwardly from the member along the length of the latter, inserting a second length of flexible ribbon into one end of the tubular member at least part way through the latter, bunching the loops of ribbon toward the said one end of the tubular member sufliciently that the second length of ribbon extends through all of the apertures, and thereafter holding the second length of ribbon adjacent the said one end of the tubular member 'while at the same time moving the tubular member endwise away from the said one end thereof to remove the tubular member from the apertures and leave the ribbon loops supported on the second length of ribbon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,903,004 Mariani Mar. 28, 1933 1,913,569 Smith June 13, 1933 2,563,678 Gates Aug. 7, 1951 2,681,525 James June 22, 1954 2,736,182 James Feb. 28, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,610 Austria Nov. 18, 1902 71,090,344 France Oct. 13, 1954 

